


Pretty Pictures II

by BekahRose



Series: Photographs [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Community: love_bingo, Fanart, M/M, Manip, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-11
Updated: 2013-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-29 02:46:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/999937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BekahRose/pseuds/BekahRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When cleaning out their spare room, Merlin stumbles across a small collection of old photographs he's never seen before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pretty Pictures II

He finds the first one when he’s cleaning out the spare bedroom so they can turn it into an office. He had thought he’d known every picture and every outfit; he’s wrong… pleasantly so. Its appearance has only made Merlin itch to find more and so he’s begun systematically going through albums and boxes that have somehow wound up in the spare room until he’s accumulated a small pile that when he looks at them, makes every nerve ending in his body come alive with anticipation.

=

“I’m home!” Arthur calls out one afternoon. Merlin can hear the double thud as his shoes land in the hall by the front door. “Merlin?”

 

Merlin smirks as he shuffles the photographs around in front of him before calling out, “In the kitchen!” He reaches down and adjusts himself as he waits for Arthur to reach him.

 

“Hey,” Arthur says as he steps up to the table, pressing his lips to Merlin’s temple.

 

Merlin knows the moment Arthur spots the photographs, can feel his body tense beside him.

 

“So, uh,” Merlin says as casually as he can, “I was cleaning out the spare room and I found these.” Merlin touches the edge of the table, brushing Arthur’s fingers away when it looks like he is going to grab them. “This one,” he continues on, holding up a picture of Arthur with mussed hair, a white vest and a pair of leather trousers. It is the only colour photo in the admittedly small collection. “This one is my favourite.”

 

Arthur slides into the seat across from Merlin and tilts the others towards him. “I’d completely forgotten about them, to be honest.” He smiles at the one with his name written in the margin and shakes his head. “God, I was so awkward.”

 

“Where’d you get them done?” Merlin asks, fingers trailing along the edge of the one still in his hand.

 

“Lost a bet to Morgana,” Arthur replies, smiling as the memories come flooding back. “I look so ridiculous.”

 

“You look gorgeous,” Merlin says softly.

 

Arthur rolls his eyes and scoops the two up from the table, narrowly missing snatching the one out of Merlin’s hand. “I look awkward and uncomfortable.”

 

Merlin rounds the table and pulls Arthur into a hard kiss. There is something so appealing about seeing Arthur looking anything less than immaculately put together. It reminds him of the times when Arthur is just his. Those hours outside of work and family and friends when Merlin can run his fingers through Arthur’s hair until it stands on end every which way. “You look gorgeous,” Merlin repeats as he pulls back and tugs the photos from Arthur’s hands. Setting them aside, he tugs Arthur up and down the hallway to their bedroom.

 

Once there, he loosens and undoes Arthur’s tie, smiling at the soft susurrus of silk on cotton as he slips it from around his neck. He watches Arthur closely, can see the tension around his eyes that had appeared when he’d seen the photos in Merlin’s hands. “Can’t believe you hid them from me, of all people.” Merlin’s voice is soft and husky and he leans in to Arthur, ghosting his lips over the edge of his jaw. He can feel Arthur tremble beneath his hands where they are splayed across his chest, teasing at the buttons to his shirt, and he can’t help but grin. “I’m going to go out tomorrow and buy you a pair of leather trousers and a white undershirt and we are going to recreate that ‘Just Shagged’ look,” he says, punctuating his words with kisses to the column of Arthur’s throat. “Several… times… until we get it… just… right.”

 

Arthur groans and Merlin can feel the vibrations where his lips are pressed against Arthur’s Adam’s apple. He grins against Arthur’s skin and begins the slow process of unbuttoning Arthur’s work shirt. When he’s done, Merlin stands back to ask, “Who else has seen the photos?”

 

Arthur shrugs and tugs at Merlin’s belt. “Morgana was with me when they took the photographs, but since then… maybe Leon?” He can feel the leather of Merlin’s belt warm underneath his fingers and a tiny thrill shoots down his spine. “I’m not exactly fond of those pictures, I’d rather hoped they’d been damaged or ruined since I got them.”

 

“Well, you know what they say,” Merlin says, pushing the shirt from Arthur’s shoulders and watching as it drops to the floor with a whisper of sound. “Finders Keepers.”

 

Arthur laughs and pulls Merlin closer before stripping him of his jumper and t-shirt. “Fine,” he says when Merlin’s hands are sliding over his shoulders and around his neck, bringing their torsos closer together. “But… they’re for your eyes only.” He nips at Merlin’s lips before kissing him in earnest. When they finally part for air, chests heaving, Arthur smirks. “Consider them your _personal_ collection.” Merlin’s ensuing laughter is swallowed as Arthur kisses him again, chasing the sound with lips and teeth and tongue until Merlin’s gasping and whimpering and clutching at his shoulders like they’re the only thing keeping him upright. Arthur hums in amusement when he slips the tongue of Merlin’s belt through the buckle and his knuckles graze across his partner’s erection.

 

They make short work of what remains of their clothes; trousers, pants, and socks disappearing to areas of the room with impatient flicks of ankles and feet, their haste causing Merlin to stumble and land sprawled across the bed in an awkward heap. Arthur huffs a small sigh, even as his lips curl up before he joins him, his hands moving to Merlin’s hips and flipping him over onto his back. Merlin’s laughter is breathless and he wriggles until he’s comfortable before reaching for Arthur. When he’s close enough, Merlin plunges his fingers into Arthur’s hair, tugging and rubbing at the blond strands and it takes Arthur a moment before he realises Merlin’s trying to get his hair to stand up in that ‘Just Shagged’ way from the photograph.

 

“They used quite a bit of gel, Merlin,” Arthur says, lowering his head to nudge Merlin’s nose with his own. “And hairspray and,” he pulls back and his brow wrinkles. “I think something called mud, but I could be wrong. I remember it was a bitch to wash out.”

 

Arthur’s hair slips and slides through Merlin’s fingers like silk and he smiles before tugging him down into a kiss. “S’alright, I’ll find another way to get that ‘Just Shagged’ look.” He smirks and twists his hips a little until they’re pressed against Arthur’s.

 

Arthur’s head drops and he groans into Merlin’s neck as their cocks meet and a frisson of pleasure shoots up his spine to settle in his gut. He drags his teeth down Merlin’s neck to his collar bone as he begins to circle his hips, and all Merlin can do is close his eyes, enjoying the tiny sparks of want that make him feel dizzy. He tangles his fingers in the hair at the nape of Arthur’s neck and reaches up and under the pillow, searching blindly for the lube he knows is still stashed there. His shout of triumph as his fingers close around the small plastic bottle turns into a throaty groan when Arthur’s hips hitch and the drag of skin against skin sends a bolt of need spiralling through his gut.

 

The snap of the bottle being opened filters through the haze of need and Merlin’s other hand is already moving from Arthur’s neck so he can squeeze a generous amount of lube into it before tossing the bottle aside and reaching between their sweat-slicked bodies. Arthur grunts as Merlin’s fingers wrap around them both and he tilts his head to better drag his teeth along Merlin’s throat, and sucking hard. Merlin’s head arches back at the assault on his throat and his grip tightens, his thumb pressing against the ridge of Arthur’s cock as they thrust in tandem.

 

“ _Merlin_ ,” Arthur gasps, his head falling to the side as their pace increases and he balances himself on his left forearm as he snakes his right in between them to join Merlin’s. It’s fast, and soon enough, the room is filled with the sound of their groans and gasps and skin meeting skin as they push each other closer to climax.

 

It’s like a wave when it finally hits them. Merlin gasps Arthur’s name, his head tilting to mouth kisses against his partner’s jaw before he pulls his hand from between them, giving it a cursory wipe on the quilt before gripping Arthur’s head and hauling his face around so he can kiss him. When they separate, Arthur falls to his side and Merlin rolls into him, arm snaking across his waist. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day,” Merlin says, pressing a kiss to Arthur’s chest. “Pretty much as soon as I found the photographs.”

 

Arthur groans and swats at Merlin’s shoulder. “I’ve already said you could keep them.”

 

Merlin grins and sits up to meet Arthur’s sated, blue gaze. “You did, not going to stop me from recreating them every chance I get.” He waggles his eyebrows and nods at Arthur. “Seems I’ve got the hair down at least,” he says, with a grin that widens as he reaches to tug a clump of Arthur’s hair, sticking up every which way with lube and sweat and some of their come.

 

Arthur grimaces and tries his best to flatten his hair back into some semblance of neat and tidy but gives it up as a bad joke when Merlin’s grin turns to laughter. He hated the pictures, and if he were completely honest he still doesn’t like the fact that he looks so awkward in them, but if they make Merlin happy, makes Merlin look at him like he knows all of Arthur’s secrets and still wants to hang around, then he’s more than happy to live with them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my "Eroticism" square on Love Bingo, this - along with Pretty Pictures I - was originally going to be one rather long fic, but it didn't sit well when I put it all together, and so it has been broken into two fics - Pretty Pictures I and this one, which is a prequel of sorts. Please do not repost the images, take them or use them without permission. And huge, huge thanks and love to CarelessShipper for the beta. You are BRILLIANT.


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